His Savior
by jackandsamforever
Summary: This is a continuation fic of the scene at the end of "Nothing Personal". Coulson realizes just how grateful he is that May's back.


**AN: **So I'm finally getting the chance to watch AOS and I love it. Philinda is a great ship, and I hadn't planned on writing anything for them until I finished the season. But after watching "Nothing Personal", I felt compelled to try my hand at writing a continuation fic for the end scene. This is my first AOS fic obviously, but I've written many stories for other fandoms. Thanks so much for reading. :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything related to Agents of Shield.

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Coulson closed the laptop slowly. His mind was reeling. He didn't know what to think other than the fact that _he _had been working on T.A.H.I.T.I. _He _had been the one doing experiments. And unbeknownst to him, _he _had been running tests for his own future salvation. He'd been furious at May for keeping secrets, when it had been _him_ all along. Never mind that he'd had his memories tampered with; that point was moot. He felt like a fool. His entire life was unraveling piece by piece; he didn't know how much more he could take before it was too much.

He sat staring at the desktop, studying its details to distract himself from what he'd just learned. It was the standard two star motel kind of furniture; cheap and ugly. Someone had carved their initials in it at one time, but the years of wear had made them almost indiscernible. He reached his hand up and traced the faded lines with his finger. It felt smooth, he wanted to feel pain. He felt like banging his head a few times on the desk; but knew it would only make his growing headache worse. It wouldn't take any of what he'd done away. Wouldn't give him his memories back. Wouldn't take the bitter taste of regret out of his mouth.

His hand stilled on the desk, but he couldn't make it stop shaking. He wondered if he was going into shock. He didn't know for sure, but it felt like it. His thoughts were numb. His body was numb. His heart was numb. He felt blank. Like a blank piece of paper drifting on an abandoned street. No one to pick it up, no one to write on it. It just drifted along forever until it eventually tore apart and disintegrated.

A hand covered his on the desk; effectively stopping the shaking. The hand squeezed his palm until he looked up into the concerned face of Melinda. He'd been so horrible to her. Had treated her like an enemy and not a friend. To be fair to himself, she'd been lying to him, but she'd tried to tell him that she was only under orders to watch him; that was it. She wasn't selling secrets to the enemy like he'd accused her of doing. He hadn't believed her declarations then, but he believed her now. She only ever had his best interests at heart. He should know that by now, but he hadn't listened to what his heart had tried to tell him all along. They'd been partners and friends in more than one way for many years. She wouldn't do anything to hurt him, and he'd done everything to hurt her.

He heaved a breath and stood up suddenly; dislodging her hand from his. He looked at her with a pained expression on his face. He didn't know what to say other than sorry. Didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive him for the way he'd treated her. She must forgive him at least professionally, because she was here with him and the team in a dingy hotel on the run as a fugitive.

She'd come back.

That thought jolted him to the present, and he opened his mouth to apologize. Then he closed it again and furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. She just stood looking at him with raised eyebrows, but he could see a glimmer of hurt behind the steely expression she wore. He knew her well enough that she couldn't hide it from him completely. He took a step forward and wrapped his fingers around her bicep softly. She didn't step back, but she didn't encourage the contact either. He ran his down her arm and held on to her fingers tightly, then finally forced himself to speak; her patience wasn't limitless. "Melinda." He paused and ran his free hand through his hair, then continued, "I've been trying to come up with a way to apologize, but anything I come up with sounds trite and empty. All I ask is that you at least forgive me enough to come back to the team and help us with our mission. You don't have to forgive me personally but-"

She cut him off with a look and a squeeze from her fingers. All it took was that one little gesture and he knew she forgave him. For everything.

Tears pooled in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Now wasn't the time to be weak. They had work to do. He could be weak when he was by himself and when no one could hear him. He had to be strong, if not for her, then for the team. "Oh, May," he choked out, then stopped himself before he acted like a blubbering fool.

She squeezed his hand again and said quietly, "Phil, look at me."

He looked up to find warmth in her expression and a small smile on her face. "We're in this together. We're going to find Ward and Garrett, and we're going to take down Hydra. I have complete faith in you as a leader, and as a friend. Nothing else needs to be said."

He nodded, then without warning, pulled her into a tight hug. She was stiff against his body at first, but soon relaxed into his embrace and threaded her arms under his suit coat, then let out a very un-May like sigh. He moved his face into her hair and breathed her in. After he'd seen her on the screen leaving Fury's secret base, he'd been convinced that he wasn't ever going to see her again. That he'd hurt her too badly. That he'd finally added the last straw and broke the camel's back. He was so damn glad she was back.

They stood like that for a few moments longer, then she pulled back slightly and kissed his unshaven jaw and whispered against his skin so quietly that he could barely hear her, "Thank you." He didn't know what she was thanking him for, but he didn't care. She was here in his arms, with her lips against his jaw. It reminded him of times long ago, and he felt a small stirring in the pit of his stomach; something that he hadn't felt in a long time for her.

She'd come back.

_She'd come back._

**AN: **So I hope this wasn't too OOC. I would love to hear what you all think. Have a great day. :)


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